So does that mean im traditional???? Air shocks and stickers make it look like it goes fast, 11-1 327 makes it go fast.
I bought a 1956 Bel Air wagon about 30 years ago that had some home made shackles about a foot long on the back. Flat towing that thing home was an experience. Once we got some good tires on it, it just seemed to sway side to side like Kid Shalleen. I cannot imagine driving it under its own power. Speaking of '70's memories, how about an old Craig 8 track with Mindblower speakers? Lost some upper range hearing in my buddies old Torino. Good times.
I never "painted" the dome light... The round Red or Yellow Semi trailer light lenses were the PERFECT size to pop inside your Dome light!
I had the shackles too but ran seperate lines to the air shockes so i could level the car up. The spring were wore out so bad it leaned 3 or 4 inches side to side.
I love this place. I ask a simple question and the smartest people in the room step up, not only answer my question but swap a bunch of cool stories. I have been reading here for years, and just got an account - seems like everyone says that. I first ran across this site from a really great post about camel heads from a google search. I check out the H.A.M.B everyday!
Yep! had all that plus shackles, air shocks, 10" steering wheel, on a 74 Nova with Keystone Classics! Man, I miss that car!
I did mine different in 1968. On my 57 210, I removed the entire rear end and mounted it on the bottom of the springs. I wish I had a picture! Oh yea, I forgot the little dished steering wheel. I had problems with the NJ inspection comrades
Ain't it great? Ya get it all here. LOL. Basically, sittin' around, shootin' the bull with 1,00,000 people. Many different perspectives and viewpoints...many different experiences...from many different places...and all age groups. And what is it that ties us all together? Everybody now..."HOT RODS!"
Oh I was in my formative years right then and damn if that look isn't cool when you are car crazy kid watching them go by and your riding the tire hump seat of the school bus! I will take mine jacked up, slapper traction bars supertuner under the dash, speakers on the back deck, air shocks, paint the drums and the pumpkin, plaster the quarter windows with stickers! Hell most of my hot wheels had the jack it up option remember the back axle was in that plastic adjuster and you could set the ride height mine were all the way up man! Great now I have to build another car I am a ford guy but my son really digs novas I know the treatment it's getting now!
Well I guess I need to be in on this. the purpose was simple, the only way to run mickey thompson n-50's without a radioused wheel well, or narrowed rear. and lets not forget the heart shaped chrome spoke rims Oh yes let's not forget the sunroof.
yea...you got the look. Forgot the snorkle scoop. Where are the stickers? Holley equipped, Hijackers, and Edelbrock were mandatory. I remember my auto shop teacher in High School telling me I was going to wear the thrust bearing out in my engine from running the car jacked up like that.
A buddy I worked with back in the 70's said side pipes on a car where like pickles on his cheese burger. He wouldn't take them off if they where on there but he wouldn't pay extra for them either. Oh yeah you had to get your muffler clamps real tight for them to work right. Done it to a buddies car one time to get the tires to clear then I was driving on our way to a concert in Evansville and I got a ticket for the back bumper being to high on his car.
MAN OH MAN! you guys are makin my day Dont forget the Craig 8 track players, Bobby Unser Special or Positraction Torque Twister tires. How many muscle cars were fucked up with a hole cut in the top and a groovy van sun roof installed? Seems like one air shock was always a leaker so the car was a leaning. Nuthin like reliving your past. Later John
man, I resemble that remark but just for clarification, I hacked the entire roof off an audi 100 so I could have a roll back sunroof. And of course, there was a chrome chain steering wheel inside. plus, I took it one step further and cut the dash out and installed a 69 cuda dash, complete with international truck guages
I didn't use the shackles, but did clamp the coil springs down in the front of my new '72 Duster - black with gold snakeskin roof. I stuffed the biggest tires that would fit in the wheelwells in the back.... ah, memories! For those who have forgotten, drag racing was king back then. We didn't have the variety of car sports or anybody doing a retro look. So the "look" we leaned toward was cutting edge drag racers - the Funny Cars were just coming into their glory. Nose high Willys were about gone, but get the nose down and ass up for increased traction - what are spoilers?
Many a paycheck went to buy the stuff for THE LOOK when I was a teenager. Good to know some things never change. And to all those who were their in the 70s and early 80s, who say they didn't like that look at the time. You keep trying to fool yourselves...
1974 -- had the 60 chevy Parkwood wagon Rear coil spring spacers and HiJacker air shocks, steel slots on the front, Wide ass chrome Reverse on the back, 10 inch Chain wheel with NO Power Steering, Chrome side pipes, front and rear sunroofs, separate am/fm, 8 track, and cassette players with 2 sets of Jensen 6x9's, folded down rear seat frame with shag carpet, painted rear windows, beer flip top curtain between the front and back and the big christmas tree made from flip tops hanging from the rear view mirror....
In So. Cal in the '70's, things were getting ugly between the "Surfers" and the "Lowriders". If you were a "Surfer", you'd do anything to get the back end of the car as high as possible and not be considered a Lowrider, including this type of hack job.
I have some fond memories of cars looking like that. I don't think it looks good now but I like a muscle car to have its ass up a little bit. For the cars I am into now it would look stupid though........
When I bought my '64 GTO (1981), my first two orders of business were to remove the rear coil springs from a ????? that lifted the rear about six inches above normal ride height, and replace the black foam rimmed 8 inch diameter steering wheel, which was a real joy with manual steering----keep your hands clear of it when it was returning to center after a right angle turn, or risk losing a finger!
Yeah; it really sucked. The '30's - '60's cars were everywhere - most dirt cheap. Same with the parts that are now going for huge money. Then you had all those damn musclecars. What a terrible time to live.
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